According to EPA's most recent Toxic Release inventory (TRI) National Analysis, 4.5 million pounds of toxic chemicals were dumped into the Pearl River in 2019. The vast majority of this toxic waste came in the form of nitrates from 3 poultry processing companies, Tyson Foods, Sanderson Farms and Peco Foods. The amount of TRI pollutants entering the Pearl River watershed has increased 47% since Pearl Riverkeeper began tracking the reports in 2015. The Tyson Farms plant in Carthage is ranked #1 for permitted releases to water in all of Mississippi.
Louisiana ranks 4th out of 56 states/territories nationwide based on total releases per square mile (rank 1 = highest releases). Mississippi ranks 12th out of 56. The TRI is easily searchable by state, county, city or zip code: https://www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis/where-you-live.
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AuthorPearl Riverkeeper is a licensed member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, the largest and fastest growing nonprofit solely focused on clean water. Archives
July 2024
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